PAM. 

■apan 


((U>H 


’’"’Japan  for  Clirist. 

Mrs.  C.  B.  Perkins. 

HEN  the  little  brown 
men  of  the  East  won 
victory  after  victory  in 
their  struggle  with  Rus- 
sia, the  world  echoed 
their  shout  of  “Banzai 
Nippon,”  “Hurrah  for  Japan!”  A louder  and 
more  important  cry  sounds  in  the  ears  of 
the  Christian  world  to-day.  “Japan  for 
Christ!”  The  mighty  empire  that  now  is, 
and  the  still  mightier  empire  that  is  to  be, 
must  be  won  for  the  King  of  kings.  And  in 
this  conquest  America  has  a double  duty. 
While  sending  the  Gospel  message  generously 
and  gladly  to  the  Japanese  in  their  island 
home,  w^e  must  not  be  unmindful  of  those 
who.  in  the  Providence  of  God,  are  gathering 
within  our  own  limits. 

What  should  be  done  for  the  Japanese  in 
America?  The  question  may  be  answered,  in 
part,  by  the  story  of  what  is  being  done  for 
Japanese  and  Korean  women  and  girls  in  San 
Francisco  by  the  Woman’ s Home  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

The  work  began  under  the  management  of 
a local  committee,  in  1901,  in  a humble  home 
of  two  meagerly  furnished  rooms,  with  a 
deaconess,  Miss  Lena  B.  Gray,  as  missionary. 

Its  influence  for  good  soon  became  so  ap- 
preciated by  the  Japanese  people  that  larger 
quarters  were  sought  in  July,  1902,  and  a lower 
flat  of  four  small  rooms  on  Pine  street,  op- 
posite the  Japanese  church,  was  secured.  This 
proved  to  be  verily  a haven  of  rest  for  those 
needing  sheltering  care,  and  the  only  place 
that  many  could  truly  call  “home”  in  Christian 
America.  Here  the  missionary  held  women’s 
Bible  meetings,  and  a primary  school  for  the 
little  people.  She  also  visited  the  women  in 
their  homes  and  conducted  once  a month  a 
woman’s  Bible  meeting  in  Oakland. 

The  following  year  another  move  was  nec- 


Friends  and  Pupils  in  New 


essary,  as  the  property  changed  hands,  and  the 
humble  little  flat  gave  place  to  the  modem 
apartment  house.  A cottage  of  seven  rooms, 
a block  further  out,  was  rented,  and  a school 
was  conducted  in  a room  on  St.  Mary’s  street. 

The  second  Pine  street  home  was  soon 
overcrowded.  Here  our  permanent  family 
started  with  a child  sent  from  Los  Angeles, 
who  needed  the  guiding  and  protecting  care 
of  a mother  heart.  At  this  time  Miss  Gray, 
after  faithful  and  earnest  work,  began  to  fail 
in  health  and  had  to  return  to  her  home.  Miss 
Margarita  J.  Lake,  an  experienced  worker 
among  the  Orientals,  took  her  place.  Other 
girls  came  to  make  their  permanent  home  un- 


PANESE  Home,  San  Francisco. 


cler  the  sheltering  roof  until  the  little  cottage 
gave  place,  in  August,  1903,  to  a more  pre- 
tentious home  of  eight  large  rooms  at  1241 
Bush  street. 

Responsibility,  financial  and  otherv/ise,  in- 
creased with  the  increase  of  accommodations. 
The  school  on  St.  Mary’s  street  was  aban- 
doned and  a school  in  the  Home  was  estab- 
lished, where  not  only  the  little  people  and 
girls  of  the  Home  were  taught,  but  girls  dom- 
iciled in  families  throughout  the  city  came, 
thus  making  many  grades  necessary,  and  the 
services  of  a first-class  teacher.  The  mission- 
ary, Miss  Lake,  added  another  department  to 
the  work  by  visiting  with  her  interpreter  each 


incoming  steamer  from  the  Orient,  as  well  as 
those  from  the  Sound,  talking  with  the  Japan- 
ese women  on  board,  and  taking  unprotected 
girls  to  the  Home  (with  the  cordial  assistance 
of  government  immigration  officers),  thereby 
saving  them  from  unknown  but  very  real 
dangers.  Eternity  alone  will  reveal  the  har- 
vest of  this  seed-sowing. 

Long  before  the  two  years’  lease  of  the  Bush 
street  Home  had  expired,  the  eight-roomed 
house  was  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity,  the 
family  at  one  time  numbering  thirty-two.  The 
committee  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would 
be  a wise  business  proposition  to  purchase  a 
Home,  if  a suitable  one  could  be  found,  and 
borrow  the  money  with  which  to  pay  for  it, 
as  the  interest  on  the  loan  would  amount  to  far 
less  than  rent.  Much  prayer,  time  and  energy 
were  expended  to  find  the  one  most  suited  to 
the  needs,  but  it  was  finally  found  at  2025 
Pine  street,  a house  of  eighteen  rooms.  Every 
room  in  the  house  has  the  sun.  The  low’er 
floor  is  used  for  school  rooms,  store  room, 
kitchen  and  dining-rooms.  The  second  for 
parlors,  office,  sitting-room  and  children’s  bed 
and  play  rooms,  and  the  upper  floor  for  dor- 
mitories. 

The  first  of  November,  1905,  found  the  fam- 
ily happily  domiciled  in  their  permanent  home, 
and  California  Methodism  rejoices  with  the 
Committee  in  its  good  fortune.  Many  things 
are  needed  to  complete  the  requisites  of  a 
comfortable  home,  and  many  will  deem  it  a 
privilege  to  assist  in  this  practical  way.  Others 
will  help  bear  the  responsibility  of  the  burden 
of  debt  and  congratulate  the  (Church  upon  se- 
curing a real  Home  for  the  girls  who  need  the 
shelter  and  training  that  they  could  receive 
nowhere  else — the  girls  who  will  be,  no  doubt, 
wives  and  mothers  of  the  new  Japan. 

Annual  scholarships  in  the  Home  are  ^60. 
Partial  scholarships  may  be  taken. 


Woman’s  HoMr:  Missionakt  Society 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
150  Fifth  Avenue  New  Tork  City 


